Tsunami death toll tops 23,000

The death toll from the tsunamis that struck nine Indian Ocean countries risen to 23,700 tonight, the international Red Cross said.

“Our technical team compiled the figure based on national societies and governments,” said Sian Bowen, spokeswoman at the Geneva headquarters of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.

She said the toll had been extended to include deaths in Somalia, for the first time including Africa.

“The waves went that far,” Bowen said.

The highest toll was in Sri Lanka, with 12,000 deaths, she said. India had 6,000, Indonesia 4,730 and Thailand 840.

Other countries reporting included Malaysia with 52 deaths, the Maldives with 43, Burma with 12 and the Seychelles with three, Bowen said.